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Philosophy would be so much easier if we could use console commands. Here’s a conundrum people in the new Maia alpha are asking: “What comes first? The door, or the workshop that you need to build to build the workshop door?” It’s actually a trick question, and the answer is that you need to build the workshop first, then use debug commands to place a door. So technically the workshop. As the video shows, the door to the workshop is the first step on the space colony’s sodden road to self-sufficiency, with the systemic strategy game’s colonists using the workshop to build a table to use the table to get to work. If you add lights to the workshop, the people will be able to build things in a more efficient manner. Brilliant!
This might be a strategy game that I can understand and play. I’m no good at predicting things, but even I can tell what’s needed when a blackout happens, or when water is running low. And I love that the sound tells a story as well. The little blips and bleeps have as much to say about your colony’s condition as the huge thump that happens when a meteor lands during developer Simon Roth’s playthrough.

I Kickstarted this, and thus have access to the alphas, but I’m waiting for betas or even the final release. I just don’t really feel like installing and messing around with alphas. If I thought I would have constructive feedback for the dev team, I might, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t (I’m super lazy).

I decided to kickstart this one and dropped a lot more than I usually do on kickstarter projects. I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something I really like about this project and Simon too. From the last video it looks like he’s been working really hard. I’m quite excited to get stuck in properly as soon as I have some time. Such is the life of a 40 year old gamer, I’ve got the cash to buy the games, I just need to magically pull some free time from out of my arse somehow.

I backed Maia on Kickstarter, and I’m consistently amazed by how quickly it’s been coming along. Even on this alpha video where doors are not quite in, there’s a huge amount of background simulation that is already working nicely.

To be fair, others did come up with similar ideas. Spacebase DF-9 from the Double Fine Amnesia Fortnight and Astrobase Commandeer that RPS featured just last week, for two. But none is as far along as Maia, or looking as good.

I happened to notice that the lady building the table (about 01:50-ish in the video) has a skin temperature of 37.something. That’s way too high. She’s clearly having a fever. Average skin temperature is normally about 33 °C, while core temp needs to be around 36-37.